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🇩🇰 Denmark /Conflict & Security

Finland completes 200-kilometer barbed-wire fence along Russian border

From Berlingske · () Danish

Translated from Danish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

Newswire Named sources Outcome reported
  • Finland inaugurated a 200-kilometer fence along its eastern border with Russia, which stretches for more than 1,300 kilometers in total.
  • Interior Minister Mari Rantanen called the fence a practical part of Finland’s border-security system and an investment in European security.
  • The project cost about 356 million euros, with annual maintenance costs estimated at 2 million to 3 million euros.

Finland has inaugurated a 200-kilometer border fence along its eastern frontier with Russia, saying the structure is a practical necessity rather than a symbol. Interior Minister Mari Rantanen spoke at the Nuijamaa border crossing in southeastern Finland.

“This is not just a symbolic construction project. It is a practical and necessary part of Finland’s border security system,” Rantanen said, according to Finnish media outlet Yle. She described the fence as a concrete investment in Finland’s and Europe’s security.

This is not just a symbolic construction project. It is a practical and necessary part of Finland’s border security system.

· Mari RantanenFinland’s interior minister described the new fence at its inauguration.

The fence stands 4.5 meters high and is topped with barbed wire. Cameras and sensors have been installed along it. The project reportedly cost around 356 million euros, or approximately 2.7 billion Danish kroner. Annual costs are expected to reach 2 million to 3 million euros.

It is calm but tense today, and we do not know what will happen tomorrow.

· Mari RantanenRantanen spoke to AFP about the security situation at the border.

The fence is intended to prevent migration from Russia. “It is calm but tense today, and we do not know what will happen tomorrow,” Rantanen told AFP at the inauguration. “It can change quickly, and that is why we really need to be prepared,” she added.

Finland’s border with Russia extends for more than 1,300 kilometers. In December 2023, Finland closed the border after more than 1,300 migrants arrived from the east without visas. They included people from Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen and Somalia. The Finnish government described the arrivals as “instrumentalized migration” and has accused Russia of using migrants as a weapon.

It can change quickly, and that is why we really need to be prepared.

· Mari RantanenShe explained why Finland considers the border barrier necessary.
About this summary

Originally published by Berlingske in Danish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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